Students often struggle with the writing process because they don’t see a connection between the spoken and written word.

In this residency, students use their natural ability to tell tales and express their ideas by way of writing a narrative or an expository essay as a monologue.

Author and improvisational storyteller Chris Espinosa unleashes the power of students’ inner monologues through this engaging and memorable journey inward.

This is not your typical in-school residency. It's an arts-integrated program that fuses theater arts (improvisation and the monologue) with writing/language arts (the writing process- specifically, the personal narrative/expository essay).

Students won't spend much time in their seats. During the first four days, they will be on their feet to improvise scenes, act out their ideas, and creatively collaborate as they transform their personal narratives or expository essay into a monologue. The fifth day is SHOW TIME! Students will stand up and stand out as they "take the stage" to perform their monologues.

At the conclusion of the residency, your students will know:
• The difference between the expository essay and the personal narrative
• Three steps of the writing process: (1) plan/draft, (2) develop, (3) revise

The students will be able to:
• Write an expository essay OR write a narrative about a personal experience
• Create an effective introduction and conclusion
• Express the emotions and ideas of their narrative/expository essay in their monologue performance

The students will appreciate:
• The joy of creating a theatrical piece for performing
• The connection between the spoken and written word